F.—l

XI

No. of Accounts No. of Accounts Amount at Credit of Postal District. opened open on Accounts open on during 1890. 31st December, 1890. 31st December, 1890. £ s. d. Auckland ... ... 35 ... 116 ... 95 15 5 -Blenheim ... ... 3 ... 102 ... 89 0 3 Christchurch ... ... 16 ... 581 ... 725 15 8 Dunedin ... ... 14 ... 374 ... 107 13 1 Gisborne ... ... ... ... 10 ... 1 10 6 Greymouth ... ... ... ... 9 ... 818 5 Hokitika ... ... 2 ... 0 9 0 Invercargill ... ... 13 ... 26 ... 24 18 5 Napier ... ... 2 ... 73 ... 46 7 10 Nelson ... ... 5 ... 350 ... 739 17 8 New Plymouth... ... 96 ... 24 8 0 Oamaru ... ... 2 ... 78 ... 197 18 1 Thames ... ... 9 ... 128 ... 104 11 9 Timaru ... ... 15 ... 130 ... 162 0 3 Wanganui ... ... 3 ... 42 ... 62 17 10 Wellington ... ... 5 ... 197 ... 72 8 4 Westport ... ... 2 ... 14 ... 9 0 4 Totals, 1890 ... 124 ... 2,328 ... £2,473 10 10 Totals, 1889 ... 92 ... 2,490 ... £2,347 10 10 A decrease of 162 in the number of accounts, but an increase of £126 in amount. The following is the balance-sheet of the Post Office Savings Bank Account for the year ended 31st December, 1890 :— Dr. Cr. £ s. d. £ s. d. Balance to credit of depositors, Ist Withdrawals .. .. .. 1,500,437 9 5 Jan., 1890 .. .. .. 2,191,451 14 1 Balance at credit of depositors, 31st Deposits .. .. .. .. 1,658,543 3 5 December, 1890 .. .. .. 2,441,876 8 7 Interest allowed to depositors .. 92,319 0 6 £3,942,313 18 0 £3,942,313 18 0 Dr. Liabilities and Assets. Cr. £ s. d. £ s. d. Balance to credit of depositors, 31st Securities. (Fide Table No. 6) .. 2,337,182 7 8 December, 1890 .. .. .. 2,441,876 8 7 Balance, Post Office Account, on 31st December, 1890 .. .. .. 104,694 0 11 £2,441,876 8 7 £2,441,876 8 7 ______^__ , — ■ - Dr. Profit and Loss. Cr. & ?. d. £ s. d. Balance forward, Ist January, 1890 .. 17,24116 6 Interest credited to depositors, 1890 .. 92,319 0 6 Interest on investments £124,456 17 C Paid Public Account, expenses of manageLess accrued interest to ment .. .. .. .. 5,000 0 0 31st December, 1889 18,294 8 9 Savings Bank profits carried to revenue .. 8,000 0 0 106,162 8 9 Balance to next account .. .. 18,085 4 9 £123,404 5 3 £123,404 5 3 Mail Steam Services. The San Francisco and Direct mail-service contracts, which expired in November-December last, have been renewed in terms of the following resolutions agreed to by the House of Representatives on the 13th September last : — " That, as the Imperial Government has agreed, in the event of the colony renewing the fourweekly contract services by way of San Francisco and by Direct steamer, (1) to defray the cost of conveying the outward mails to San Francisco, to allow the colony 12s. per pound on the letter portion of the said mails for carriage from San Francisco to New Zealand, and also defray the cost of the sea-transport of the Homeward mails from New York to London, —the colony to provide for their transit from San Francisco to New York ; and (2) to credit the colony with 12s. per pound on the letters, and half the book- and newspaper-postage on the outward mails forwarded by Direct contract steamers from Plymouth, this House empowers the Government—• " (a.) To arrange with the present contractors for a twelve months' renewal of the San Francisco service on the following conditions : That the basis of payment shall be a rate of 12s. per pound on the net weight of the letters conveyed (excluding those from America); that all receipts received by New Zealand from the Imperial Post Office and non-contracting colonies for carriage of mails shall be paid over to the contractors—the colony's direct liability, however, is restricted to payment for its outward mails (which on those of 1889 would, it is estimated, have amounted to £5,725); that the contract route shall be San Francisco to Auckland or Wellington, at the option of the contractors, and Auckland or Wellington to San Francisco, but the steamers may proceed to Sydney. The time between San Francisco and Auckland or Wellington shall not exceed 20 days either way. No bonus to be paid for early arrival, and penalties at the rate of £4 an hour to be enforced only when late delivery at either Auckland or Wellington or San Francisco exceeds forty-eight hours. That the steamers shall be liable for light, harbour, and other dues. In all other respects